Note: Edit to Chapter 84 that is somewhat important. The lesson Su Fang gets about being a Groom has been updated so that the final piece of advice is now about the proper role of a Flower. This is to give you context to understand what is normal for a Flower to do and what isn''t. The relevant section is in the spoiler below.


    The final part that stood out was when the instructor talked about the proper role of a Flower.


    “Once a Groom becomes city lord, his Flower steps back from leadership and becomes his strongest pillar of support. She will be your consort and wife, giving you all of her affection and love, but she will also be your Grand Chancellor, ensuring the smooth functioning of your domain by using her knowledge and experience to assist you.”


    I thought about Mei in this kind of role. Her blessing would certainly be of use in the political sphere. She would be able to easily manipulate her rivals. I snorted internally. I wasn’t sure if relying on her for such a thing was smart, but she was made for those situations. I wasn’t.


    “She will have eleven years of experience, and you should rely on it to help you, but keep in mind that she is your wife, not your servant. She is there to support you, but you are the one who is in charge of running the city. After a Groom ascends to lordship, the Flower’s primary duty is to nurture her Seeds while you are in charge of governance.”


    The teacher handed us each a paper that contained a historical account so we could better understand the role of a Flower.


    In the story, the new Water Groom ascended to his position and began leading the city. He wanted his reign to be marked by significant changes and improvements to the city, so he worked with his ministers to craft a series of proposals for new street layouts, improved roads, and a sewage system.


    His proposals would have affected nearly every significant interest in the city, and if he had implanted them directly, the major clans would have rioted.


    This is where his Flower helped. She did not mediate with the clans directly. Instead, in her role as Chancellor, she advised the Groom on how clans would react and gave suggestions that would improve his ideas and make them welcomed by everyone involved.


    The Groom created the plan. The Groom implemented the plan. But the Flower was in the background, lending her experience and guidance.


    <hr>


    After everything was settled with Minister Jin, I once more became engrossed in designing an alchemy factory. The idea of making the entire first floor a kind of warehouse had benefits, but it also necessitated changes and extra formations to help move goods from one area to another.


    I had just been appointed as the new city lord, so maybe I should have been more concerned about my new duties on that front, but that was a job I entrusted to my ministers. They knew the city far better than I ever would, so I did the responsible thing and stayed out of their way. If any issues came up, I was sure Mei could handle them, as she had been running the city for years.


    One week after our original meeting, Minister Tang sent me a message requesting a meeting. He wanted to discuss the plans for the factory.


    <hr>


    The ride to the location the minister specified took far longer than I expected, and I was getting impatient by the end. The city streets were crowded with people going about their daily lives, and while they quickly got out of the way for my carriage, it still limited our speed.


    I was taken to the far southwest corner of the island. The closer we got to our destination, the more the foot traffic thinned out until the streets were nearly empty. The buildings in this part of town were not elegantly designed. Instead, they were simple large stone boxes. As I watched, wagons were constantly entering and exiting them, delivering or retrieving goods.


    In this area, the edge of the island was a steep cliff with a drop of two or three meters. Minister Tang was waiting for me at a low stone parapet that overlooked the lake below.


    “Lord Su, you have arrived, excellent,” he said in greeting.


    “Minister Tang,” I acknowledged, “what did you want to discuss?”


    The minister gestured with a hand at the lake before him. “I need you to decide if this is a good place for the structure you wish to build, Lord. Considering the requirements you gave me, it appeared to be the best option, but it is good for you to see the area in person in case there were any details we missed.”


    My mind instantly clicked into gear and began considering the location based on my current designs.


    “You have decided to go with island expansion instead of tearing down old buildings?” I asked, wanting the reason for the decision.


    “Yes, Lord. While it is more expensive, as long as funds are no object, it is by far the superior option. It allows for a far more suitable location since it would be difficult to find a sizable enough location otherwise. Forcing the demolition of several buildings for your personal project would be frowned upon by the locals, but building out the island would be praised.”


    The reasoning seemed sound, and I would accept the minister’s judgment.


    “I need to expand the area of the structure slightly from what we discussed in the past, so we need to ensure that the expansion is large enough."


    “This…” the minister twitched uncomfortably. “Lord, this was something I wanted to discuss. You are personally funding this project, so I cannot waste your money, but there is a lot of potential in developing this area.”


    Minister Tang pointed out the blocky buildings I had passed on my way here. “These are warehouses which supply raw ingredients to various parts of the city. Not only the herbs you need, but also leathers, metals, and woods among other items. Building more workshops directly adjacent to them would be highly beneficial.”


    I cocked my head to the side. “What are you saying?”


    “Lord, I wish to expand the scope of the expansion beyond what is strictly necessary for your project. Your building could be constructed by adding a 200 by 200-meter peninsula onto the island. However, I would like to do more. I am considering a one-kilometer extension along three kilometers of coast. It will cost more, but if we already need to hire the earth and metal cultivators to extend the island…”


    I thought about his proposal. I didn’t care much either way to be honest. I had the money, so why not spend it? There was only one problem. “What about the rule for personally financing projects?”


    Minister Tang winced slightly. “I’ve talked to the other ministers about this, especially Ministers Jin and Lu. They have accepted that an extension of the island that looked more natural would be better, as a blocky peninsula suitable for only your project would hurt the feng shui of the area, but they warned me that there were limits to such a rationale.”


    I nodded. “If the ministers approve of your proposal, I have no objections. As long as the project doesn’t require anyone above the Grandmaster level, I will be able to fund it.”


    “Thank you, Lord. This will greatly benefit the city,” Minister Tang said with a bow.


    I dismissed his bow and refocused on the project. “Do you have plans for who will do the work?”


    “No, Lord. My men have been working on drafting the contract, but we have not published it yet.”


    “I would like to offer the right of first refusal to the Hu clan. I have some connection with them, and we work well together.”


    “Lord…” Tang hesitated. “This is somewhat improper. Any large projects such as this are to be posted openly, and all clans should have equal access to compete for them. Giving preferential treatment to a single clan would open you to public criticism.”


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    I waved away the concerns. “I am just expressing my thoughts. You are the Minister of Public Works and the responsibility of completing the project is yours. Follow the normal process.”


    “Thank you, Lord.”


    “However,” I stopped him before we left the topic, “the Hu clan must be the ones to do the formation work. The building will need many specialized formations, and I do not wish to share them with other clans. Is that understood?”


    “Yes, Lord.” The minister instantly replied. “The normal bidding process is only for general labor. As long as the work requires trade secrets, special contracts are possible.”


    “Excellent, Minister Tang. Thank you for your hard work. I look forward to seeing what you can accomplish.”


    <hr>


    After the meeting with Minister Tang, I sent a messenger to Mei to arrange a meeting between myself, a Hu clan representative, and her chosen Seed. This was quickly arranged, and we met later the same day.


    “Lord,” the Seed bowed as I entered the conference room, “I am Mu XiaoPei. Flower Mei has assigned me to assist you in these meetings.”


    “Miss Mu,” I acknowledged, “have you already been in contact with the Hu clan?”


    “Yes, Lord. Flower Mei gave me this task one week ago, and I made initial contact immediately. Their representative expressed his deep admiration for you and his wish for happy cooperation, but as I could not provide him with details of the project, our talks were limited.”


    “Understood,” I said, then set our conversation to the side.


    I began taking out several portfolios and arranging them on the desk. Then, I took out a large map of the proposed island expansion along with the basic blueprints of the building I was having constructed. Not long after everything was arranged, the Hu clan representative was led into the room.


    “Lord Su, I am Hu NiAn. I have long heard of your great name and look forward to working with you,” he said, giving a deep bow of respect.


    NiAn was a large, middle-aged Grandmaster who looked like someone who spent all their days doing hard labor outdoors. His arms were bulging with muscles, but he carried himself like a tradesman, not a warrior.


    I smiled when I saw the man. The Hu clan was good at learning, I would give them credit for that at least. When most clans requested meetings with me, they would send slick, well-groomed diplomats whose job was to flatter and cajole me until I was pleased and self-satisfied. Even if I expressed disdain for such things, their tactics wouldn’t change. The Hu clan only attempted this once before realizing my preference for dealing directly with knowledgeable craftsmen.


    “Welcome, friend from the Hu clan,” I said, giving a martial salute. “Please, have a seat, we have a lot to discuss.”


    As we all sat around the table once more, a servant came in to pour tea, and Hu NiAn began examining the blueprints on display.


    “Is this what you need us to work on?” he asked with a creased brow.


    “No,” I smiled. “My Minister of Public Works has informed me of the normal bidding process, so we will follow his guidelines. I plan to expand the island as you see here,” I gestured to the first drawing, “and construct this large building on the cleared land. While the minister has insisted on the normal process, I do hope the Hu clan will consider participating in the bid.”


    The Grandmaster looked the plans over carefully but shook his head in the end. “It’s going to be a lot of bulk work. You’re better off grabbing some down-on-their-luck adventurers to do the expansion for you. We might consider placing a bid on the building, though. It will be tricky to make that monstrosity stable.”


    I laughed. “I’m not an architect, and some modifications would of course be acceptable.”


    Hu NiAn nodded a bit and stroked his chin. Then, he pushed the drawings away. “Did you just call me here to give me advance notice on the jobs or is there a reason I came all the way here?”


    “There is,” I said meaningfully, gesturing to the building’s blueprint. “This will be a factory for making Rank 0 pills automatically, without an alchemist. Simply place a load of herbs in one spot, and pills appear in another. Are you interested in helping make this a reality?”


    I finally gained the man’s interest. “Explain.”


    “Miss Mu,” I said, looking at the Seed. “Please help me move the table to the side of the room.”


    All three of us worked to clear the middle of the conference room, and I began taking out a variety of formation plates. After creating a large semi-organized mess on the ground, I lifted a small palm-sized plate to show it to Miss Mu and Hu NiAn. The Grandmaster was familiar enough with formations to know what it was, but I still explained for Miss Mu’s benefit, as she would need to work closely with this project in the future.


    “This is a very basic Rank 1 trap formation.” I pointed to two inscriptions on the left side of the plate. “These are qi filters. One for water qi, one for earth qi. These,” I said, moving to the right, “are the vortex inscriptions to pull qi in. The channels that connect them will fill with water and earth qi.” The lines converged on a significantly more complex inscription. “And this uses the water and earth qi to constrict whatever is placed above the plate, locking it in place.”


    “Hmm, it’s too weak,” criticized NiAn. “It wouldn’t be able to hold anyone in place for even a moment.”


    I held the plate in my palm and pointed it toward the ground. After I activated it, I took out the herb used to make Rank 0 Nutrition Pills and placed it inside the trap’s range. Then, I began moving the plate around the room and twisting it in various directions to show the herb remained attached.


    Grandmaster Hu nodded at this display but didn’t comment.


    I moved in front of another formation plate. “This plate uses fire energy to melt the physical shell of the herb. It only has the filter and gathering inscriptions for fire qi, but there are several more needed to regulate the temperature and direction of the heat it produces. The herb needs to be heated to exactly the right temperature and from all directions equally.”


    I moved the herb over to hover over this plate, activated the formation, and we watched as the physical body of the herb slowly disappeared. In qi sight, though, I could see that the energy was still locked into the exact same position it had been.


    Neither of the others were alchemists, and I didn’t think their qi vision was as advanced as mine, but they still had some ability to see what was happening.


    “At this point, I need to be more careful. The energy is locked into place, but it is more fragile and can easily be destroyed.”


    I moved the herb to the next set of formation plates. There was one lying flat on the ground and four more surrounding it. Together, they formed an open box.


    “The plate on the ground senses and detects any energy that isn’t wood-aligned. It’s connected to the four surrounding plates. When the prepared herb is placed inside, the five plates work together to purify the energy.”


    I inserted the medicinal energy into the group of arrays, and the plate holding it in place acted like the lid of a box. Inside, all the formations activated, and we watched in qi vision as the bottom formation sent signals to the side formations. Then, the side formations sent out needle-thin bolts of qi to strike the impurities in the medicinal energy. After a minute, it was completely cleansed.


    “This does a lot of damage to the herb,” I admitted. “The targeting method I’m using isn’t great, and it can sometimes cause the wrong side of the formation box to attack certain impurities, burning holes through everything in its path instead of only the minimal amount necessary, but it does perfectly cleanse the herb.”


    Grandmaster Hu’s eyes widened at the sight of the purified energy. He instantly knew what this would mean.


    “Finally, this last formation uses wood qi to condense the medicinal energy into a pill,” I said, placing the purified herb over the last plate I had prepared.


    The final formation activated, and the medicinal energy quickly compressed into a pill.


    I deactivated the trap formation, releasing the pill, and letting it drop into my palm.


    “Perfect Rank 0 Nutrition Pill,” I announced. “52% efficacy. It’s so bad that if an alchemist made it, they would be laughed at.”


    The Grandmaster and Seed both fixed their gazes on the pill, but it was Hu NiAn who spoke first. “An alchemist didn’t make it though, and you can make countless pills with no effort.”


    “That is the plan,” I confirmed.


    I walked over to the table and opened up a portfolio I had prepared.


    “This shows the entire assembly line. I want everything automated. Herbs will be delivered to the ground floor, and lifts will drop them off at the beginning of the assembly line. The trap formation will grab one, and a track system will carry it from one formation to another, finally dropping the finished pill in a jade box at the end. When a hundred pills are in the box, it will be sealed and sent back down via another lift.”


    I pointed out the various features on the assembly line blueprint.


    “The lift and track systems should be doable by Formation Disciples. I want them as simple as possible since they are the most likely to break and need repair. A Formation Master should be able to handle the trap, melting, and condensing formations, but it would be good to have a Grandmaster with far more skill than myself to create the purifying formations.”


    As Grandmaster Hu studied the blueprints, gears turned in his head. “There is a problem of power,” he finally said. “One assembly line will be functional, but if you want to fill your building with these, you’ll drain all the qi in the area.”


    I nodded. “I’ve considered that. As we are expanding the island, I want to embed a qi gathering formation under the site where the building will be located. The stronger the better. A Rank 3 Qi Gathering Formation should be able to handle it.”


    Hu NiAn shook his head. “No, it’s a bit weak. You need Rank 4. Rank 5 would be best, but Rank 4 would be sufficient. Anything less and you risk running low occasionally. That normally wouldn’t be a problem, but running low for even a second would mean the formations shut down and they need to be manually restarted. If you fill multiple floors with several assembly lines each, you are talking about hundreds of formations. Needing to constantly restart everything would be too much work.”


    I frowned. “I concede to your judgment. Affording a Rank 4 formation is difficult, though.”


    Grandmaster Hu immediately spoke up. “We’ll build it. Don’t worry. You can repay our Formation Lord after you advance to Pill Lord, but the Hu clan has to build this.”


    I looked at the Grandmaster as he stared at the plans. His eyes shone with avarice, but I wasn’t sure if it was for money, fame, or simply advancing his knowledge of formations. His thoughts didn’t concern me, though. All that mattered were the results.


    “Happy cooperation,” I smiled.